Review: Simply Sinatra wows audience at first CCA concert

What a beginning to the 2014-15 Community Concert Association season! Simply Sinatra was a double whammy with a fabulous 10-piece band and Sinatra sound-alike Steve Lippia. The band opened the show with selections that were worth the ticket price by themselves. Then Lippia came on stage and when he began signing you could close your eyes and hear Ol’ Blue Eyes Sinatra himself. It really was uncanny and for those of us (and there were a lot) who were of the Sinatra era, it was wonderful to hear songs like “Got the World on a String,” “In Other Words,” “Summer Wind,” “Send in the Clowns,” “That’s Life,” “I’ve Got You Under my Skin,” “Witchcraft,” and so many, many more.
Lippia’s show was a pleasing, smooth mix of fabulous singing mixed with stories about his own life, about Sinatra (did you know that he recorded 1,500 songs? ), letting the band play alone, occasionally featuring one musician or another, the pianist, drummer, trombonist. One guest was heard to remark that hearing the band alone was worth coming to this show. He/she was right but the combination of Lippia and the band made the entire show terrific. An hour and a half passed amazingly quickly!
Next show is on Monday. Let’s Hang On will be music in the style of Frankie Vallie and The Four Seasons. Then on Nov. l7, you can hear fiddler and guitarist Alex DePue and Miguel De Hoyos. Good Company comes on Feb. 3, Live from Nashville on March 12 and the season winds up with Susan Egan on March 24. Another great season of music for only $45 . Season tickets may be purchased at the door of the Schreier Theater of the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium. Every show begins with a punch and cookie social in the lobby. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. for the remainder of this year.